A reel spinning slot machine generally comprises a plurality of mechanical rotatable reels controlled by a processor. In response to a wager, the processor randomly selects an outcome from a plurality of possible outcomes and then causes the reels to be rotated and stopped to display the selected outcome. The selected outcome is represented by certain symbols on the reels being in visual association with a display area. If the selected outcome corresponds to a winning outcome identified on a pay table, the processor instructs a payoff mechanism to award a payoff for that winning outcome to the player in the form of coins or credits.
Heretofore, the display area of reel spinning slot machines has been fairly mundane. Any proposals for changing the appearance of the display area have been fairly minor and limited in capability. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,642 to Bennett, reel symbols are colored by backlighting the symbols with colored light bulbs or similar means. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,115 to Griswold et al., the reels themselves contain electroluminescent elements that define one or more reel symbols, such as cherries, bars, a number “7,” etc. If multiple electroluminescent elements are provided for a particular symbol, that symbol may be displayed in multiple formats. Although the above proposals change the appearance of the display area to some extent, a need exists for a spinning reel slot machine with a structure capable of effecting more extravagant changes to the appearance of the display area.